Branded corporate gifts that help reduce waste

 

 Catching up with The Green Desks Yasmin Halai-Carter at 
UKAware 2011

 
This weekend saw me scoot down to London again to visit UKAware, the UKs largest and longest running contemporary sustainable lifestyle exhibition

This was my third annual visit and I have to admit, it was a great excuse to catch up with some of my old friends and have a good mooch around to see whats new.  As ever, I came away buzzing with excitement over the amazing projects I saw, but having had a press pack for the first time ever - and having been accompanied by my six year old, who is a magnet for freebies -  I also noticed I was laden down with stuff!

And it really got me thinking about all the conferences and corporate events out there, where freebies are giving out willy-nilly, to get brands right under the noses of the people with the purse-strings.  Yes, Ive been used to a career packed with squashy balls, mouse mats, and laptop bags, not to mention the ubiquitous and equally useless gym-kit style bags to fetch them home in, with carrying strings that bury deep into your hands, but in recent years Ive trained myself well to refuse most branded clutter.  You know...applying that age-old mantra of REDUCE!

However, at UKAware I was intrigued by the alternative options that are now available for the more eco-conscious corporate merchandiser and naturally my antennae turned towards the cool stuff that actually helps people reduce waste.  I thought Id include some of my findings here.


BAGS

If youre giving away reusable bags at your conference or exhibition stand, thats a great thing to do right?  Well, yes, its a step in the right direction towards waste-busting giving, but wouldnt it be better if that bag was made from recycled materials in the first place!

Thats where Onya comes in, with its range of branded bags that are made from recycled PET bottles.  Ive been a fan of Onya bags ever since I saw them during my first visit to UKAware and I dont think you could get a bag that is more lightweight or which is so easy at being packed up.  It even comes with its own pouch and clip to make it easier to carry around.  For more details visit www.onyabags.co.uk.





GADGETS

It may be my inner geek shouting here, but I just LOVE these USB batteries that I discovered in my goody bag.  With a house full of remote controls, handheld game consoles, cameras and other gadgets, these energy-packed miracle workers are just the thing!  Again, Im a long term fan and have even been known to add some to my kids Christmas stockings and they love them too, as you just bung them into your USB slot to recharge, saving a fortune in batteries in the process.  As well as selling branded batteries, Ive noticed theres also a commemorative pack for the Royal Wedding.  More info about these funky little batteries can be found at www.usbcell.com.


STATIONERY

And heres another personal favourite, the staple-less stapler, helping to reduce the office workers dependency on steel.  This one is branded with the Green Desks web address, which also happens to be the company that sells them.  It comes with a great quote that reads "If every office worker in the UK used 1 less staple a day we would save 120 tonnes of steel a year".  Wowzer!  For more branded products like this, as well as everyday sustainable office items can be found at www.greendesk.org.uk.


So, Im pretty happy with the freebies that I picked up at UKAware this year.  It just goes to show that businesses dont need to give their customers ready-made landfill as part of their marketing strategy and can instead offer items that can actually save them money and help reduce their waste in the first place. You just need to find the right places to look and UKAware is just one of those places that is well worth watching for solutions that match your brands ethics.


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UKAware is now selling exhibition stands for its Bristol event, which takes place on 18th-19th June 2011.  For further details, please visit www.ukaware.com.  And if youve ever wondered where the organisation sources its promotional T-shirts, just check out ethical clothing company Pier32.
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Pledging to save energy ASAP to help Baglady

Today finally sees the start of the secret launch of Bagladys ASAP Pledge Round 2.  The official launch is 11.01.11, but Baglady being an impatient old gal decided to make the most of the tradition for New Years Resolutions and the opportunity to get us Internet peeps thinking about sustainability.  You might remember my last blog post about it here.


Now I know that youre used to me thinking big and tackling some huge challenges, such as organising rubbish free tasks or setting up local collection schemes for Recycle Week, but for this years ASAP (As Sustainable As Possible) pledge, Ive decided to tackle something really small but just as important, much closer to home

You see, despite making a big effort to reduce waste, use public transport, buy local and keep the heating off until November, Ive still not sorted out the simple fact that I am always forgetful about turning off the light in the downstairs loo.  Asimple thing, but the kids do it too...so much so that my husband is always on our backs about Mr Invisible spending far too much time on the toilet!

So, Ive decided that my pledge this year (with the help of the children) will be to give up leaving the light on in the loo AND elsewhere in the house.  And while Im on the subject Ive also decided to take up the idea of turning off my laptop whenever its not in use...instead of my "leaving it on just in case I need it later" routine.

Other bloggers are also on board with their ASAP pledges and have either already blogged about them or will be doing so very soon, so for inspiration keep your eyes peeled for updates from MyZeroWaste,  Cambridge EcoThrifter, From Rat Race to Positive Parent, Violet Posy, Just Jotting Along, A Modern Mother, Jo Beaufoix and Rosie Scribble.

Pledging is simple.  You just need to pop along to Bagladys website, make your pledge and pass it on via Facebook, Twitter or through your blog, encouragiing your friends to do the same.  All pledges registered on Bagladys site by midnight on 17th June will also be entered into a random draw where one lucky person will win a £100 voucher courtesy of Baglady Productions to spend at sustainable retailer Wiggly Wigglers.

So, go on...please join us in adopting Baglady for 2011 and  if you do Id love to know if youve made a pledge. In the meantime, Im off to make mine now....

Useful links:

Adult Pledge: http://www.bagladyproductions.org/asap-world/pledge/
Kids Pledge: http://www.bagladyproductions.org/asap-world/kids-pledge-asap/

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/bagladyproductions

P.S.....if youre spreading news of your pledge on your blog, theres even a blog badge you can use...

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Blogger disclaimer:  Karen has been working with Baglady Productions to help launch Pledge ASAP Round 2.  However, this is a personal post as an independent participating blogger.

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Can you help Blue Crane Recycling help people in need

One of the children who Blue Crane Recycling are trying to help

Have you ever had an email from someone overseas asking for help?  Like me, youve probably had many, marked them as spam and deleted them from your mailbox for good. But one message stood out earlier this year.  It was from a lady called Megan Cockroft, who is fighting to set up a recycling initiative to help some of South Africas poor and this is what she said.

"I know I am taking a chance here but I was wondering if you perhaps know of a recycling organisation in your country that might be interested in sponsoring such an undertaking? At the dump site there are scavengers, very poor people that live there and scratch though the garbage daily with their children, little babies walking in the filth. My first aim is to create a creche  for these children away from the dump-site, a clean healthy place with proper food and care and schooling. The second priority is to help these people to earn an income for themselves by creating self employment opportunities and job creation. When the recycling facility is set up a number of these people will be employed on a permanent basis, the rest will be used to sort the waste into different categories such as glass, tin, plastic, paper etc. this will be weighed and paid accordingly. As the business develops we will look to incorporate housing facilities for them as well".

Well, could you turn your back on such a request for much needed help?  I certainly couldnt, so short of flying out to South Africa I endeavoured to find out more about Megans project via a series of lengthy emails and work out how best I could offer my support.  The starting point is to share her story here in the hope to link Megan with organisations and individuals who can lend a helping hand.

 Meet Megan Cockroft.

Originally from Port Elizabeth, South Afica, she and her husband Rick decided to move their young family away from the city to a small town in the Little Karoo after an experience of violent crime and numerous house breakings.  This was almost three years ago.

Within twelve months of moving to the country, they set up a small recycling business, Blue Crane Recycling, a great idea, but one that has been fraught with a number of stumbling blocks.  However, no matter how tough, Megans journey has forged her inspiration to set up an enterprise that will help others who are in greater need than her.

"We initially got the business off the ground and started working," Megan told me, "but seven months later we had a terrible fire at our work premises and nearly lost everything. Our local municipality granted us permission to move the business to the local dumpsite and subsequently gave us a five year contract to process and recycle the entire towns waste on condition we got the neccessary permit". Following the change of location, Megan has been a regular visitor to the dumpsite and this is how she learned of the local peoples desperate plight.

"There are about 15 - 20 people who live and scavenge at the dumpsite" she says " I now know most of them personally and always try to help them in any way that I can but I have realised that they are not benefiting from handouts, what they need is a source of income. Once we have set up the business on the site, I plan to give them the tools to help themselves."

"At they moment they are living on less than R50 per week, which roughly converted to pounds  is about £4.50 and most of them have families to support as well. Through our Environmental Impact Study,  based on the current volumes of trash and potential recyclable volumes we have estimated that they will earn R400 (£36)  per week or more.  Although this is not fireworks it will assist them considerably."

Megan and Richard hope to employ 5 people on a permanent basis and create 20 -25 self-employment opportunities to support the people who live and scavenge on the dumpsite.  There is great support from the community to make this happen but the Cockcrofts have found it impossible to get funding from the local authorities. Thats why she has turned to the international community to seek help.

Megan is keen to highlight that they are not specifically looking for handouts but opportunities to raise funding for a social enterprise project about which they are very passionate.  And she is committed to paying back every penny of any loans that are offered.

Blue Crane Recycling is not a registered charity, but is closely associated with  the charity organisation Afrikaanse Christelikke Vrouens Vereniging  (ACVV), which provides social welfare services for families in need.  ACVV will manage all funds allocated towards Megan and Richards recycling project to ensure that monies are spent correctly.  Megan is already involved with voluntary work with the organisation, handing out bread, fruit and cold drinks every Friday to under-privileged children in their part of town.

I asked Megan what kind of support she needs.

"To start with we need about R150 000 (roughly £13,000).  This is mostly for the purchase of 2 LDVs which is crucial given the demographics of our town and distance to point of sale (210 km).  Fencing is also needed to enclose the area we work in so as to contain the garbage as well as basic equipment for the sorters, namely spades, wheelbarrows etc". For equipment and machinery etc, we require a further R200 000 (£17,500)  The sooner we can get operational the sooner everyone can start earning an income and improving their lives.

One of the benefits of this business is that there will always be garbage and always recyclable goods and profit can be seen almost within two weeks of operation. The most critical of all is a vehicle to get the recyclables to market,from then on we can slowly build up our the enterprise".

There is great scope for this project and once fully functional Blue Crane Recycling will be able to process cardboard, paper, mixed plastics and glass, putting an end to it being buried or illegally burnt on the dumpsite.

I am aware of a couple of organisations with whom I can put Megan in touch, but I know there are many readers of this blog who have greater knowledge than me about international fundraising for children and families in such poverty as well as contacts in recycling organisations that might be able to help.  Just sharing this story via Twitter or Facebook could even help.

If you have any ideas or connections with a recycling organisation that might be keen to get involved with social enterprise projects or are even considering investing in businesses overseas, Megan would be delighted to hear from you.  Her contact details are bcrecycling@r63.co.za.

Thank you so much in advance for anything you can do.

ADDENDUM, 15 Sept 2010: If anyone wants to make an individual donation, Megan has just informed me of the account details for the ACVV charity branch that is local to her, where direct transfers can be made.  All monies will be managed by the ACVV charity, but you need to reference any donation with BCRECYCLING to ensure the funds are allocated to this project.  Megan will keep us up-to-date with how much is raised and how the project is progressing.

Account Name: ACVV Somerset OOS
Bank: ABSA
Branch Code 334418
Account no: 2200140004
Cheque account
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This post was compiled during National Zero Waste Week 2010, whilst I was blogging from Saints Cafe in Bury St Edmunds about their fabulous ides to help minimise food waste.  The Blue Crane Recycling project was never far from my mind and what struck me this week was the statistic that an average family wastes £50 per month, throwing away food that could have otherwise been used if it was stored or managed properly.  Its blue sky thinking but what if all that money could be used to help level the imbalance of poverty instead of food thats left to rot in landfill?   It just highlights that the food waste problem in the UK is not just an environmental problem, its a wasted opportunity to help alleviate poverty too.

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Shhhh you heard it here first

Well, bang goes my life as a random and loose cannon housewife in Suffolk.

I suppose it was a matter of time really.

Yes, I bring you the news that having wandered off the streets of London into yesterdays AGM for the Zero Waste Alliance UK, I found myself wandering back out again as a newly appointed member of the charitys board of directors.

Yes I know.  Im still in a position of shock too.  Theres one thing being random, but give the woman a strategy and goodness knows whatll happen.

However, Im proud to be joining a board that has such a strong pedigree in the zero waste sector, whose membership includes individuals for whom Ive had great respect and admiration since I first discovered their work and achievements several years ago.  My sincere thanks go to the members who invited me to join as well as to the rest of the board who supported the motion.

For those who arent aware of the Zero Waste Alliance UK (ZWAUK), the organisation is an educational charity that actively promotes innovative resource management to help UK industries, societies and governments achieve realistic objectives for zero waste.   Established in 2002, it has a history of successes as well as key challenges under its belt and it is really exciting to have the chance to contribute towards new opportunities for the alliance to make its mark in drastically reducing the UKs waste output and how residual resources are managed.

I will of course keep you up-to-date with the work of the alliance during the months that follow, but for the moment I am just coming to terms with how I can contain my levels of randomness in light of such new responsibilities.

How exciting is that!

I look forward to sharing further news with you soon.  However, in the meantime, for more information about the work of the charity, please visit www.zwallianceuk.org.

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WEETF debating the future of UK waste policy

Two days ago I was privileged to attend the Westminster Energy, Environment and Transport Forums (WEETF) keynote seminar: The future of UK Waste Policy.

OK, I admit that it might not sound the most rivetting of days out for many, but for a blogging waste geek like me, it was a real opportunity to witness first hand the priorities of those who have a direct influence on the way in which the UK will protect the worlds natural and material resources.


The Forum, which runs conferences and seminars in London aims to provide the "premier environment" for policy makers in Parliament, Whitehall and government agencies to engage with key stakeholders.

And indeed it was a seminar that brought together an impressive range of representatives from many relating sectors.  These included academia, government, retail, local authorities, waste management companies, anaerobic digestion specialists, waste reduction consultants, the energy from waste sector and anti-incineration networks.  It was probably the most widespread range of interested parties and stakeholders that Ive ever witnessed in one room, since I started The Rubbish Diet blog three years ago.  There was also representation from emerging market investors amongst the delegate list.  Now thats a sector I dont come across every day.

Chaired in turn by Barry Gardiner MP (Member, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee) and Lord Redesdale, Chairman, (Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Assocation), the event presented a plethora of professional opinion addressing topics that included The UKs record on waste management, delivering a zero waste economy by 2014, comparing waste policies in England and Scotland, the role of energy recovery in the future of waste management and the view from Wrap.

It was quickly acknowledged by industry expert Paul Levett, that the most useful tool in reducing waste has been the Landfill Tax, the impact of which will continue to have a positive effect as it rises towards £80 per tonne in 2014.  Paul Levett also stated that private investment had been successful in the municpal sector, but as municipal waste represented one third of the countrys arisings, investment was also needed in other sectors too.  What particularly stood out for me was his view that waste should stop being a political issue and draw a cross-party consensus.  Frankly, I couldnt agree more, especially as many of the goal-scoring antics amongst political egos are often more effective at delaying the essential than moving as quickly as we should towards necessary solutions.

Although unable to provide actual detail of Defras Waste Review, which wont be published until later this month,  Neil Thornton Defras Director of Climate, Waste and Atmosphere (cool job title, by the way) highlighted the key drivers for the waste review, which included:

• The new government & new economic backdrop, including localism and Big Society policies
• The coalition programme and Defras revised business plan
• The need to agree goals for 2014-20, setting the path towards a zero waste economy
• Exploring voluntary responsibility deals amongst businesses and Climate Change Act powers for household charging
• Promotiing increased Energy from Waste through anaerobic digestion.

While Neil Thornton highlighted that there are now 173 local authorities collecting five or more dry recyclables at the kerbside (helping to reduce the average annual residual waste per person by 76kg since 2006/07), he also stated that a key tool in waste reduction will be the introduction of the Waste Hierarchy as a legal obligation in the UK.  This means that the new Waste (England & Wales) Regulations 2011 (effective from September) will put a legal obligation on businesses and local authorities to place Waste Prevention Plans as a priority in their operations.  This will affect businesses that produce waste, import or export waste, carry or transport waste, keep or store waste, treat waste, dispose of waste and those that operate as waste brokers or dealers.

It is expected that waste policy changes will also see

• a move towards a zero waste economy
• a more sustainable use of materials, 
• improving services to businesses and households
• more voluntary approaches, 
• better targeted systems for enforcement
• a smallerdifferent role for central government, putting more decisions into the hands of local communities and civil society
• waste management becoming a very important part of the green economy.

Simon Aumônier, waste life cycle expert and partner at Environmental Resources Management  emphasised that waste prevention must be a top priority for future policy, highlighting the embodied impact (i.e. Raw materials, transport and production) of products and produce that are wasted.  The significance of this issue was later reinforced by Richard Swannell of Wrap, who illustrated the point with an example of the humble burger, stating that 2,400 litres of embedded water is required for just one 150 gram beefburger.  Working with WWF, Wrap has also calculated that food waste amounts to 6,200 billion litres of embedded water per year and clothing waste comes in at 2,400 billion litres.

This theme of Waste Prevention was echoed by Bob Gordon, Head of Environment at the British Retail Consortium (BRC), who highlighted how the brands and retailers that signed up to the Courtauld Commitment have in 5 years prevented 1.2 million tonnes of food and packaging waste and are continuing to make further reductions.  Commenting on pressures facing local authorities from certain public and political quarters to return to weekly rubbish collections he stated that this would be at odds with what the government is trying to achieve.

From a Zero Waste perspective, it was refreshing to hear Claudia Kuss-Tenzer, Research and Policy Programme Manager at Waste Watch, highlight that Zero Waste policies should be defined as Zero Waste and not "Zero Waste to Landfill".  She also called on government to support the Friends of the Earth ambitions to cut residual waste by 50% by 2020.

One of this years most surprising and exciting developments to hit the waste and recycling sector was also introduced at the seminar, by Roy Brown, CEO of nappy recycling company Knowaste. With over 20 years experience in Canada, the company is launching the UKs first specialist recycling facility for absorbant hygiene waste, which includes disposable nappies, adult incontinence and feminine hygiene products, using state-of-the-art technology to create quality plastics and fibres.

Its first UK plant will be completed in West Bromwich this summer, with facilities to recycle 36 tonnes of absorbent hygiene products per annum. The plastics output will be used for products such as roof tiles, seed trays and "plastic timber" for the landscaping and construction industries, whereas the fibres can be reclaimed for green energy fuel or sterilised and recycled for use in corrugated board, blow moulded packaging (replacing polystyrene packaging), seeding mulch and as fillers in the construction industries.

Knowaste contracts will initially be through the commercial sector but the company also has plans to target the residential sector too, with solutions to recycle 750 tonnes of waste thats generated through municipal waste per year.   Roy Brown stated that they had been attracted to the UK by drivers such as the Landfill Tax and the move towards a Zero Waste economy.  Announcements about new plants that the company plans to roll out across the UK will be made at the RWM exhibition in September.

While the government is aiming for 50% recycling targets for 2020 in England, Zero Waste Scotland, represented by Iain Gulland has its sights on 75% by 2025.  The organisation provides a range of support programmes, campaigns and other interventions to help people and organisations on the journey to Zero Waste and is promoting resource efficiency as a key theme with benefits of creating a low carbon economy, better economic performance and material security. Alongside this it is also calling for more producer responsibility.

The seminar continued with the role of energy recovery technologies, including much debate around anaerobic digestion (AD), gasification of dry waste and EfW plants, with representation from Hayley Conboy, Policy Adviser for Environment at the CBI, who highlighted the importance of recovery technologies to the waste landscape. 

Michael Chesshire (Technology Director at BiogenGreenfinch) who was introduced by Lord Redesdale as the "Godfather of AD",  detailed how processing food waste through such technology not only is a vital process for creating biofertilers and biomethane energy, but this waste stream is also proving to be very effective in reducing waste arisings.  He also commented on how anaerobic digestion is very scalable and that food waste plants can offer a combined use for farm slurries and crop waste, highlighting the benefits for farmers.

Professor Jim Swithenbank, Chairman, Sheffield University Waste Incineration Centre, presented the role of thermal technologies in using non recyclable waste residues to "mitigate UK energy poverty and climate change" and called for the government to place a priority on district heating and combined heat and power (CHP).  He stated that one tonne of waste was equal to one barrel of oil.

Jane Green, of the Zero Waste Alliance UK, added a word of caution for local authorities going down the incineratorenergy from waste route and that was concern for the impact on levels of sorted recyclates and confliction with the waste prevention message.

Having been catapulted into the waste scene three years ago, when waste was most definitely considered a very negative problem, there is an air about the sector that has transformed the landscape into one of great opportunity. Listening to talk of resource efficiency, economic development and green technologies depicted a scene of hope, underpinned by legislation that is taking this issue very seriously indeed.

This was reinforced by Lord Resedales closing comments, highlighting that politicians are now taking a real interest in waste and that is going to the key issue of the next five years, having moved significantly up the agenda.  He also added that energy prices are going up 20% this year and from now we will see a close connection between the areas of waste, energy prices and resource management.

It will no doubt be a sector rife with commercial opportunities as pre-existing and emerging players ptich for new opportunities and fight for survival over the next few decades.  I just now hope that the solutions that shine through will be those that are best for the environment, the economy AND our societies and that the voice of local communities will play a key role in the future of waste.

This blogpost serves only as a summary of Thursdays seminar.  For full details, transcripts, along with delegate lists and speaker biographies can be ordered from the Westminster Energy, Environment and Transport Forum.

Other publications to look out for through June are Wraps new business plan, which will be published on Tuesday and the long awaited Waste Review, which will be published by Defra soon after.

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A rubbish hack to help sort out your waste

Amongst many things, the Dispatches documentary on Monday demonstrated how confused people still are over which packaging can be recycled in their local bins.

Packaging information, especially in relation to plastics, is still inconsistent and even though the on-pack labelling is getting better, for many the uncertainty of what can be recycled locally still pervades like a bad smell.

So if youre one of the hundreds of thousands who are still confused, here are my top tips.


1. Get the latest information from your council

Before you do ANYTHING ELSE, yes,  even embarking on reading the rest of this post, get on the blower to your local council, and ask the recycling officers EXACTLY what you should put in your bins. I know it sounds obvious, but if youve been pondering how complicated it all is, this really is the best place to start.


Council information generally describes recyclables by product type and youll find local authorities mainly fall into two categories; those where you can recycle most types of plastic packaging (and will include yoghurt pots, margarine tubs and fruit punnets) or those that cant, thus limiting your plastics collection to simply bottles (including drinks bottles, detergent bottles, milk containers & toileteries).

If the information isnt clear.  Then ask questions so that you are clear on what cancant be put in your local bins.

Another excellent source at your disposal (please excuse the pun), is the Recycle Now website.  You just pop in your postcode and Bobs your uncle, as the system will return the results of what can be recycled at your kerbside, as well as Bring Banks and Household Waste Recycling Centres.

Once you are confident about your councils rules, you will become less reliant on packaging labelling and hopefully less frustrated.

After all, if you cant recycle a plastic fruit punnet through your local collection, you just cant recycle it regardless what  message the packaging information might tell you, so dont fall into the trap of getting hot and bothered.  Instead try and buy the product loose instead.




2. Find out what the recycling labels really mean.

Even though your local recycling officer is the best source to use, the new on-pack recycling labels can offer some extra help, and thats mainly to raise awareness of the materials used and the likelihood that they can be recycled.

Again, the best place to find out about the labelling guidelines is at the Recycle Now website.  Remember, the labelling advice should be followed as a call to action, prompting you to check with your local authority (coming back to point 1) as opposed to a definitive guide in itself.

Once you are familiar with your local rules, even if the packaging doesnt have the correct up-to-date information printed on it youll be more confident about what you should do.  For example, whilst shopping in a supermarket the other day, the own-brand bread packaging showed that it couldnt be recycled, despite the fact that a new in-store collection had been introduced only a month or so earlier, which actually collects packaging film such as bread bags and toilet-roll wrappers.



3. Avoiding packaging that cant be recycled.

With all the controversy surrounding recycling, with its complications, targets and whether it is sorted properly in the first place, it is very easy to lose sight of what we as consumers actually can do to reduce our waste contribution. 

We might not feel as though we have much power, but actually we do...lots!   There are many small changes that we can make, which can have a huge impact if they are applied across the nation.  Id hoped to include some of these this week on Womans Hour, but we simply ran out of time.  This list is not exhaustive by any means, and should really be considered as a starter for ten....

• Avoid packaging: Buy loose wherever possible, and support independent stores such as Unpackaged, which actively promotes that you use your own containers.

• Switch packaging: If there isnt an unpackaged option, switch products you cant recycle for those that you can. For example one particular major toothpaste brand comes in small thin plastic bottles, made from the same plastic as fizzy drinks bottles and can be recycled widely.

• Choose reusable: You can also reduce your packaging by switching from disposable products to reusable ones and prevent other waste too.  Jackie, who was featured in the Dispatches programme, took my advice about ditching floor wipes and bought a reusable mop.  This will save her loads of cash as well as reducing the amount of rubbish thrown away.  If youre an avid baby wipe user, try using soft washable cloths instead.

• Upcycle: If you cant recycle the packaging or avoid it completely, try upcycling it instead and raise some cash for your favourite charity.  Terracycle offers an upcycling service for packaging from brands that include Johnsons baby wipes, Ellas smoothies, Kenco coffee refills and Aquafresh toothpaste tubes and toothbrushes.  Its a great scheme for schools and local community groups.  The products are turned into new things that are sold on the Terracycle website.

• Split It: If you live in one of the areas that doesnt recycle plastic yoghurt pots, check your supermarket shelves for products that use less plastic.  There are pots on the market that now have a thinner plastic liner and a tear-off cardboard outer (just like the one in the photo).  These can be separated, with the cardboard being recycled and less plastic actually going to waste.   More packaging will move in this direction, especially thanks to innovations such as Split-it, so keep an eye out on the shelves for products that can help you reduce waste.

• DIY: Thats right, do it yourself! If youre hacked off with not being able to recycle your ready-meal trays, see if you can save money and waste by making it yourself.  Or if youve got a great friend who can really cook, and I mean really cook, invite yourself around and have a great night out instead of worrying about what youre going to do with the dirty plastic tray and ikky film. Then invite them over next week for some beans on toast!

These few ideas are just touching the surface, but I hope it at leasts provides some food for thought.  I am sure youll have loads more suggestions to add to this, which suit your lifestyle better.  And if you want more inspiration, then check out The Rubbish Diet Challenge, which you can read online for free.

Of course, all Ive covered here is just packaging waste.  Food waste is much more of a significant issue.  If youre interested in tackling that, watch this space as Ill be back soon with more tips on what you can do at home.

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If you missed the Dispatches "Britains Rubbish" documentary on Monday, it is still available for the next 27 days at 4OD. Its packed with footage about fly-tipping, plastics, recycling systems and politicians arguing their case as well as the story of how Jackie, a mum from Manchester reduced her familys rubbish from 13kg a week to 5kg.  I know Im biased, but for me, thats the best bit.  (Just in case youre looking out for it, my appearance is at 15 minutes and 28 minutes into the programme).

If you want to catch up on the Womans Hour broadcast this week featuring Bob Gordon, Head of Environment for the British Retail Consortium and Liz Goodwin, Chief Executive of WRAP, you can listen again via the BBC Womans Hour webpage.  Just look for the chapter on Zero Waste.

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Mothers for other mothers please help all you can this Mothers Day

Natasha Kaplinksy, one of the supporters of the Missing Midwives campaign

I really wish you could have been in the room with me yesterday.

I attended Save the Childrens press conference for the launch of its Missing Midwives report, a report that highlights the discrepancies around the world in something so natural as childbirth and the deaths that occur, simply by not having the necessary healthcare or education available.

I know this subject is "off topic" for a blog that normally discusses waste, but poverty is another issue about which I am very passonate and I believe that in many ways the subjects are connected simply through the imbalances that exist between the wealth of developed countries and the poverty of the under-developed world.  Yesterdays event certainly highlighted these contrasts.

Just before the press conference started, I had an unexpected opportunity to interview broadcast journalist Natasha Kaplinksy, who is one of the high profile supporters adding their voice to the campaign.  I asked her to tell me more about the issues and what ordinary people like me can do.

Natasha began by introducing the most appalliing statistic that around the word 1000 women and 2000 babies die every single day, for what she describes as "for just the want of a bit of extra bit help".  She went on to highlight the fact that at birth, there exists the greatest contrast between the developed and under-developed world in that just 1% of women in the uk give birth alone compared to 94% in countries such as Ethiopia.  Perhaps the most startling statistic of all was that in Rwanda 400,000 babies born every year yet there are only 46 midwives across the whole country.  By contrast in the UK there are 26,825 working midwives helping to support 749,000 births per annum. Now thats a statistic that makes me feel lucky.



As a mother of  two children delivered safely by health professionals in the UK, of which one was a very long and complex birth, I cant even imagine what it must be like facing childbirth without any medical support.  However, having attended yesterdays conference, I can now see how something that is such a joyous occasion for many women and their families could easily be described as a death sentence for many more.  And experts such as the Royal College of Midwives Frances Day-Stirk, are calling for action and education to make more midwives and healthcare professionals available worldwide and to tackle the Millennium Development Goals that are committed to reducing both child and maternal mortality

Frances Day-Stirk, Vice-President of the International Confederation of Midwives

and Director of Learning, Royal College of Midwives.

 
The message that came through yesterday, which was really loud and clear, was that the solutions that need to be put in place arent complex and as a global society we can make a difference.

Justin Forsyth, Chief Executive of Save the Children UK said,

“We are calling on rich and poor country governments to put health workers at the heart of their plans. World leaders pledged to do just that last year, but now they need to deliver the funds and political will to support this pledge. Without it, mums and babies will continue to die needlessly every day.”

As I listened to the tales of those who had visited some of the countries that need help, I could understand how such action could make a real impact, whether its training more midwives to help with births or providing mothers with home-birth kits that include something simple as a sterilised razor blade to cut their own umbilical chord without risk of infection.  Yes, many new mothers really have to do such a thing and a clean blade can make a huge difference to reducing the child and maternal mortality rates.

Justin Forsyth, CEO Save the Children, Natasha Kaplinsky, Dervla Kirwan and Midwife Suzanne 

describe their visits to affected countries that need better healthcare provision.

Returning to my initial interview with Natasha Kaplinksy, as our family puts in place arrangements to celebrate Mothers Day tomorrow, its her words that strike a real chord with how that fits into our global society. And thats "That we remember how lucky we are and that we can make a difference. We can all make a difference, by making small changes to our lives we can save other peoples lives.  Its such a small thing they need."


She also added, "The statistics blur the reality because they are so huge, but if we think about helping one person at a time, that really does make a difference. We just need to remember that a mother in any of those countries loves their child as much as we do and every mother wants the best for their child".

And thats what really caught in my throat. I cant speak for anyone else, but when I see those awful images on TV, I just see tragic pictures of suffering thats so immense it seems beyond our control and so far away.  However if it were our friends or family that suffered the same lack of care, wed be able to kick up much more of a fuss.

But I do feel optimistic that as individuals we can enable change and Im saying this not to just readers from the UK but to visitors I know who come from across the world too.

Of course, Save the Children offices around the globe will always value any fundraising initiatives and donations that can support urgent causes like this, especially as for every £100 raised it means a midwife can be trained.  However, they would also value any part you can play in raising the issue with your own government representatives too. With the United Nations summit taking place this September, your voice can help world leaders to pledge their political will and the funds to go with it, raising the profile of this issue when it comes to money that might already be ringfenced for development aid.  Emailing your MP, Senator or whatever their official title may be, is a simple action that most of us can do, as well as sharing relevant links on Facebook and Twitter to spread awareness amongst our friends online.

But Ive only been able to share a tiny glimpse here.  For more details, you really should take a look at the Save the Children website, where there is much more information about the Mothers for Other Mothers campaign as well as a full copy of the Missing Midwives report.

And to see the inspirational impact that Save the Children has, please do watch this video. In a world so large, investment in 350,000 midwives shouldnt be beyond our international capabilities, should it?

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Missing Midwives is part of Save the Childrens No Child Born to Die campaign.  Save the Children helps tackle child poverty in the UK and in over 120 other countries. More information about the charitys achievements and how you can support its work can be found at www.savethechildren.org.uk.
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energyshare Hexham social media old friends and me

The last couple of weeks have have been some of the most extraordinary in my blogging life, having spent much of November helping to campaign for public votes to help Hexham River Hydro win energyshare funding of £100,000, WHICH THEY DID ON SATURDAY, so a HUGE THANK YOU to all of you who voted.

With the campaigning over, I now want to take some time out to reflect on what has been a very exciting but overwhelming experience in many ways.

When energyshare first got in touch to ask if Id like to work with them as a blogging champion for one of the shortlisted entries, it sounded like a very exciting prospect.  It was the first time Id heard of energyshare, but the idea that it was supporting community based energy creation, based on inspiration by River Cottage & Landshare originator Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall was a very interesting one indeed.

What I hadnt expected though was the community project that I would be allocated would be one that would involve a 5 hour train trip, up north to Hexham in Northumbria.

Nor had I expected the impact the community would have on me when I arrived there.

And I certainly hadnt prepared myself for the string of coincidences in my life that would surround Hexham either.

Energyshare recognised that theyd given me a community that was very far away from home and gave me the opportunity to support them remotely.  Having read the project details for the Hexham River Hydro scheme, I knew I could blog about them enthusiastically - I love the idea of harnessing power from water -  but I didnt think I could do it with the level of passion that was needed unless I saw it first hand.

The first phone calls I made with Tamsin, then Gillian and then the rest of the the Hexham River Hydro team revealed the first glimpses of their drive and enthusiasm that I was desperate to harness during my proposed visit there.  And I wasnt to be disappointed.

From the moment I stepped off the train and was welcomed by Malcolm, one of the project team members, I knew it was going to be a 24 hour whirlwind of a visit.  During the short walk to the town centre, Id already gleaned some information about the towns initial commitment to renewable energy, with Malcolm pointing out the solar panels that had been installed on the roof of the sports centre.

Then came the opportunistic video in the stocks outside the town gaol (youll need to see my video), followed by the very exciting introduction to the team, who were having a project meeting at their hub, at Scotts Cafe in the Forum cinema.

The Hexham River Hydro Project Team

Once calm had been restored, it was a real privilege to settle myself into the meeting and hear the ideas that the team was planning for campaigning to secure as many public votes as possible for their energyshare funding bid.   There were so many ideas that truly reflected the groups energy

That night after pizza, I was "unofficially inaugurated" into the community by taking part in the Hexham Community Choir.  For 50 minutes, the choir suffered my tone-deaf vocals, until Gillian announced why I was in town. Soon after it was off to the pub for some cider and more singing.  It was a real warm welcome to what was an unfamiliar town in an unfamiliar part of the country.

Hexham Community Choir

The real work started the next day.  Well, I say it was work, it was more of an insightful introduction into the teams enthusiasm, knowledge and commitment as well as their vision on how a hydro electricity generator could create funds for social projects around the town.

On location at the site of the river hydro scheme

And everything that I experienced that day was eye-opening, whether it was watching leaping salmon for the very first time in my life, making Christmas cards with the mums who use the community house No. 28, or meeting the teenagers at the Youth Initiative, who are so grateful for their facility and also realise how its heavily dependent on fund generation.

The Community House, No 28.

And having the opportunity to meet, conservationists, councillors, the mayor, members of Transition Tynedale, students of the local Mencap college and local schools, really cemented how much Hexham Community Partnership worked hard to create a fantastic foundation for such a great community.

Members of the community, including The Mayor, Transition Tynesdale, Hexham Community Partnership and councillors

I really felt honoured to have met so many people during my visit, which is why when it was announced at the live countdown on Saturday that they had won the £100K energyshare funding, I found myself getting quite emotional over the result too and so pleased for the community that Id championed.

Hexham River Hydros Gillian Orrell at the energyshare finals. If she was this pleased about winning a vote rush prize, just imagine how it felt to win the £100k funding. Its just a pity my camera battery ran out, so I couldnt capture the scene.

Ive now got a funny feeling, that this isnt the end of my relationship with Hexham. Not only because of the lovely welcome and my interest in following the development of the Hexham River Hydro project.

There are a few coincidences that have come about too.

Having uploaded my photos onto Facebook, it quickly emerged that not only does one of my social-media contacts originate for this beautiful town, but one of my favourite soap-makers lives only ten minutes away too, the fabulous Allyson, with whom Ive had many a conversation during the last three years.  Even while I was there, I stumbled upon the gallery of the most amazing artist Matt Forster. Wed started following each other on Twitter well before Id even heard of Hexham.  His work is truly superb and is really worth checking out.  Heres a peek at just one photo I took during my brief visit to his gallery.

By artist  Matt Forster

However the most amazing coincidence of all is the news that Gillian, had received a telephone call from a good friend of hers several days after my visit, to enquire whether it was true that a Karen Cannard had been in town.

It turns out that her friend is none other than a lovely former colleague of mine, who as a young lady used to work for me at a music digitisation company in London, back in the 1990s. After Id left, shed spent time travelling overseas. I moved house several times and then relocated to Suffolk. We lost touch, but Id always wondered what had happened to her.

Now I know and it was an absolute delight to hear Gillian bring me up to speed a whole decade later.

So, Ive now got plenty of reasons to visit a place, which until a few weeks ago, Id actually never even heard of before.

Huge congratulations to Hexham River Hydro for winning the large category on Saturday and thank you for being such fabulous hosts.

I have no doubt we will meet again and I am looking forward to catching up with my old work friend too.

So thank you to energyshare for pairing me up with Hexham. My personal tale is a very unexpected result indeed.

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